Lifeline Directions

Purpose: A lifeline exercise helps you to see and interpret patterns in your life by building a comprehensive overview of your experiences.

Brief description:

A lifeline exercise show up the highs and lows in your life, whether in the family, in education, in work or in some other activities. It can be created by literally drawing a line across a chart and marking it up with the key occurrences to date.

This can help you value yourself more and be more confident and self-aware when making decisions on major issues such as employment. It can be helpful to reflect on formative influences, people and events.

Have a go!

1. Draw a chart with date of birth and today’s date

2. Below the chart make a scale for your age in 5 year intervals

3. Draw a horizontal line across the chart and capture positive ideas above and negative one below the line

Action:

1. Think about 4 or 5 significant life/work events. These could be:
   • Proudest moments
   • Biggest setbacks
   • Celebrations
   • Experiences of adversity
2. Think about how each of these events contributed to your values and motives.
3. Draw a lifeline and mark these significant events on your lifeline.
4. The team shares their lifelines in turn. It is useful for colleagues to prompt others to see what they learned from their highs and low.
5. It is useful for the team leader to go first. Give each person 10mins to share their lifeline with the group.

Key to chart: